Reply to DH’s therapist refused to talk to our marriage therapist

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What is there to coordinate, though? Marriage therapy uses a different muscle, and has a different focus, than individual therapy. I wouldn’t necessarily think to have a marriage counselor consult with my individual therapist. I imagine you have specific circumstances that makes it more of a necessity? [/quote]

Interdisciplinary healthcare is standard of practice.  I don’t even consider couples therapy and individual therapy different disciplines, so this example is even more egregious; imagine if, say, someone’s PCP refused to talk to their ophthalmologist because it’s their “policy.”  This situation is no different.  As a therapist (I’m the psychologist PP), you’re darn right I want information from other healthcare professionals treating my patients, if there’s consent.  It only improves my care - I’m one person and I only see this person in one context.  When I worked inpatient, we had interdisciplinary rounds daily and at every single one of those, someone in one discipline, e.g., occupational therapy, shared information that a healthcare provider in a different discipline, e.g., psychiatry, hadn’t known about the patient and which was *relevant to their care*.  Refusing to talk to any other healthcare professionals about anything is unethical care.  [/quote]

And what would you do if your long-time client cane to you with a consent to discuss his treatment with a marriage counselor, but told you that he signed it to placate his wife and he really didn't want you to have any discussions with the counselor?  [/quote]

[b]Generally, I think it’s helpful in those cases to (1) examine why someone doesn’t want information shared and (2) see if we can come to an agreement on sharing some information. [/b] Some people seem to have a misunderstanding about what this kind of information sharing looks like.  No one’s handing over audio recordings of any session or even progress notes from every session.  It’s about two healthcare professionals having a phone/video call to discuss general issues of relevance, e.g., differential diagnosis, areas of treatment focus, etc.

To the PP who appreciated my earlier post about therapy being healthcare: thank you for your response.  I’m glad you understood the point I was trying to make.

To the PP who thinks therapy isn’t healthcare: you’re wrong.  Mental health is health.  Licensed therapists are healthcare professionals just as much as are physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, audiologists, speech therapists, etc.  Societal stigma around mental illness is problematic, but it doesn’t dictate, legally, what healthcare is, thank goodness.[/quote]

Way to duck the question.  If your patient was adamant about not speaking with or disclosing any information to the marriage therapist, would you insist on doing so?  Would you tell the therapist that even though your patient signed the consent, he orally told you that he didn't want you to speak with the therapist?  I doubt it.  Or would you, perhaps, duck the therapist's calls, and only when she gets you on the phone inadvertently would you say that you have a policy of not discussing patients with anyone?
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